Page 113 of Dr. Intern

Eventually, his navy eyes flick up to mine, softer than they were moments ago. “I really will ruin your career if you fuck this up.”

I grin, a wave of relief washing over me. “And I’d happily let you, because she’s worth ruining everything for.”

Chapter 45

Claire

I’ve been running around like a chicken with its head cut off all morning, learning the ropes in a whirlwind of activity. The ER is overwhelming yet exhilarating, and for the first time ever, I feel like I truly belong somewhere.

All of the staff members, especially the nurses, have been incredibly welcoming. It’s a wildly diverse group of people from all walks of life, and I can’t wait to get to know them better. Most of them have no filter, just like me. They throw out curse words as often as they use normal words, and while my vocabulary isn’t quite as colorful, I feel right at home, knowing I’ve finally found my people.

Even though I start school soon, I’m planning to pick up a shift once a week, assuming it works with my schedule. The manager has been incredibly accommodating, offering flexibility without a strict commitment. She told me to take my time and do what was best for me, but I’m already obsessed. I want to be here all of the time.

I’ve been shadowing Morgan all day because Cassidy is working at the triage desk. We’ve seen a ridiculous number of patients, and it baffles me how much knowledge Morgan has about various diseases. She’ll see a patient and instantly diagnose them, almost like she has some sort of telepathy with their organs. It’s intimidating, but I try to remind myself that it’s only my first day and she’s been doing this for years.

I just spent the last thirty minutes searching for something called a bladder scanner. Morgan accused another department of stealing it, but it was really just hidden behind a bunch of other machines in the corner of an equipment room.

“Found it,” I announce, wheeling the scanner over to her.

Morgan’s emerald eyes light up, like I’ve just delivered a block of gold, not a machine to check urinary retention. “You’re my angel. Thank you so much.”

I can’t help but smile, feeling useful despite my inexperience.

“I’ll show you how to use this later. Could you go check on Cass? She went AWOL with Beau a while ago, and she promised to help me put in this damn foley. I don’t understand how I can insert a twenty-two in a severely dehydrated patient, but I can’t find the fucking urethra.”

My lips purse, wondering what they’re up to. I assumed I would see Beau at some point today, but he’s apparently been in surgery all morning. I must have just missed him when he came to talk to Cass.

“Sure,” I nod, dropping to the floor to re-tie my new tennis shoes. They’re cute, but not very comfortable, and definitely not practical if the laces won’t stay tied. “Know where they went?”

“Parker’s office,” she responds, her gaze flicking to mine in warning. “She looked pretty upset.”

A wave of anxiety washes over me, and I try to steel myself for whatever I’ll find. If my brother upset her, I’ll kick his ass.

The hospital corridors feel like a labyrinth as I navigate my way toward the physician’s offices and on call rooms, relying on the faint memory of our Christmas Day visit to guide me. As I turn a corner, I hear raised voices filtering through a partially open door nearby. The unmistakable southern drawl of Beau’s voice drifts into the hallway, but his words are muffled and indistinct.

Pushing open the door, I see Cassidy sitting on my brother’s lap, her arms wrapped around his shoulder. Beau leans against the wall opposite them, his hands in his pockets as he says, “She’s worth ruining everything for.”

Three pairs of eyes land on me, and I feel all of the blood drain from my face. The tension in the room is palpable, and I find myself whispering, “He found out.”

The words come from my lips as a statement, rather than a question. I don’t know how I know, but I do.

Beau nods, his eyes meeting mine with a warmth that puts me at ease. Everything must be okay if he’s looking at me like that.

I step further into the room, my heart racing with a mixture of fear and relief. Slowly, I turn my gaze to my brother who begrudgingly mutters, “We worked it out. Though, you should probably start calling him bitch boy Beau based on how whipped he is.”

Parker gives Beau a salacious wink, only to receive a head shake and a chuckle in response.

My eyes snap back to Parker, a hesitant grin forming on my lips. “You’re okay with this, then?”

“I wouldn’t use the word okay, exactly. But Cass so aptly reminded me that I’ve never been able to control you, dear sister. Nor should I try.”

Parker pauses for a beat, looking over at Beau in warning.

“Plus, he knows that I hold the keys to his kingdom in my hands, should he decide to fuck anything up.”

I ignore my brother’s protective threat and rush over to pull him into my arms. “I love you, P.”

We stand there for a moment before Beau chimes in. “Yeah, love you brother.“ He drags out the last word teasingly.

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